Malaysia’s constitutional monarchy system does not empower the Yang diPertuan Agong with absolute authority to approve laws passed by Parliament, said the Prime Minister.
- No amendment to Constitution to restore Agong’s power to approve and veto laws
- People’s voice paramount
- Malaysia a constitutional monarchy, no return to absolute monarchy
Dr Mahathir Mohamad said there are no plans to return power to the King to reject laws passed by Parliament.
He said that as a democratic nation, the voice of the people was paramount.
“We are a democratic nation, where the voice of the people, who decides everything.
“Thus, we have agreed to give the King his position, and the King is aware of the laws passed by the people in both Houses in Parliament.
“If the King is given absolute power to reject laws, it would mean a loss of the peoples’ power, and we are (then) no more a democracy but an absolute monarchy,” he said when replying a supplementary question raised by Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (GPS-Santubong) in Parliament today (Aug 14).
Wan Junaidi had asked if the amendments to the Federal Constitution made in 1993 should still be retained.
The amendments made to six articles at the time resulted in the stripping of royal immunity and the establishment of a special court to try members of royalty.
Dr Mahathir informed lawmakers that the constitutional amendments made in 1983, 1984 and 1994 were not aimed at eroding the special position of the Rulers but to ensure that bills passed by both Houses in Parliament became law as soon as possible.
“The amendments should not be viewed as inappropriate or usurping the dignity of the Rulers, but to uphold the sovereignty of the people and authority of the legislature which represents the voice of the people,” he said.
Following the amendments, he said, a Bill would be deemed passed after 30 days, irrespective of whether royal assent was given by the King.
Dr Mahathir said this when responding to a question by Datuk Seri Dr Ismail Mohamed Said (BN-Kuala Krau).
Ismail had asked whether the government intends to review and amend Article 66(4a) of the Federal Constitution which states that if a bill is not approved by the Agong within 30 days, it shall become law.
He had said that this was to prevent a similar incident to the gazetting of the National Security Council (NSC) Act 2016, that became law without the royal assent.
On the NSC Act, Dr Mahathir said he was not in favour of it as it takes away the power of the Agong to declare emergency, with the power now, under the act, resting on the prime minister.
“The declaration of emergency is a special right given to the Agong as the implication is very serious. But the act gives the power to the government to make this declaration.
“With this, it allows the government to arrest anyone without trial. The current government will review this matter further where it is deemed necessary,” he said.